Meaning & use
homology
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A relationship of similarity in structure or origin between two things, especially body parts in different species that share an evolutionary ancestor.
See it in a sentence
The homology between a bat's wing and a human hand reveals their shared ancestry.
Researchers studied the homology of the two proteins to understand their shared function.
A note on using this word
In biology, homology specifically implies shared evolutionary origin, which distinguishes it from mere resemblance, or analogy, between unrelated structures that serve similar functions.
Words with a similar meaning
correspondencesimilarity
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